Metal furniture and the like



June 23, 1931. o. J. LARSON ET AL 1,811,471

METAL FURNITURE AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 16, 1929 A rra/w zri Patented June 23, 1931 Unit's STATES PATENT OFFICE OSCAR J. LARSON AND JAMES RICHARD JONES, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO ART METAL CONSTRUCTION CGHPANY, OF JAMESTOVJN, NEW YORK METAL FURNITURE .AND THE LIKE Application filed February 16, 1929. Serial No. 340,602.

This invention relates to sheet metal furniture or the like, such as cabinets, and particularly to the frame construct1ons thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide an 7 improved sheet metal construction of this type, with which the spaced side walls or posts of the frame may be connected by cross bars in a simple and inexpensive manner, and in which the connection between the cross bars and the side walls or posts of the embodiment of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a filing cabinet constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation, with the filing drawers removed;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating a cabinet frame without the rabbet groove strikes on the cross bars;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the front portion of the cabinet illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the section being taken approximately along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective illustrating details of the connection between a cross bar and one of the frame posts; and

Fig. 6 is a plan similar to Fig. 4, but with the frame posts removed from the side walls.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 4 to 6, the filing cabinet selected to illustrate an embodiment of the invention may be of the usual or any suitable type having sheet metal side walls 1 which, at their forward edges, are flanged toward one another at 2, and then rearwardly as at 3 to form a rearwardly opening groove, as shown particularly in Fig. 4.

A frame post 4 is fitted against the inner face of each side wall 1, along the forward edge thereof and in the groove or channel formed with the inner face of the side wall by the angular flanges 2 and 3. Each post 4 may be a sheet metal channel strip, with its open face abutting the inner face of the related side wall, and forming, with the side wall, a hollow frame post or member.

Any desired number of cross bars or frame members 5 may extend between the posts 4, and each bar 5 is fitted at its ends between the posts 4. Each bar 5 may be formed of a bent strip of sheet metal, which may be approximately 'U-shaped' in cross section, with the open end of the U extending or facing rearwardly with respect to the forward face of the cabinet.

The posts 4 are provided with slot-s 6 in the faces against which the ends of the bars 5 abut, and the upper and lower walls of each bar 5 are provided at their ends with tongues 7 which extend through the slots 6 into the interior of the posts 4, and are then bent laterally against the inner faces of the posts, as

shown clearly in Figs. 4 to 6. These bent over-"ends may be spot-welded to the posts 4 or otherwise anchored thereto.

- One of the upper or lower walls of each bar, preferably the upper wall, extends to the rear faces of the posts 4, and then is flanged laterally as at 8. The flange 8 has tongues 9 at its ends which extend endwise beyond the ends of the upper and lower walls of the bar and along the rear faces of the posts 4, as shown in Figs. 4 to 6. The tongues 9 of the flange 8 are secured to the rearward faces or walls of the posts, in any suitable manner, such as by spot-welding the same thereto.

I-Ieretofore cabinets of this general type have been objectionable because of the lack of rigidity and strength in the connections between the cross bars and the side walls or frame posts, but by connecting the cross bars 5 to the posts 4 in accordance with this invention a connection is obtained which is exceptionally rigid and strong and has'been found entirely satisfactory. The forward edge of each cross bar 5 may be provided with notches 10 to fit around the rearwardly turned flanges 3 of the side walls.

The construction in Fig. 3 may be similar to that illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6, except that the cross bar has no rabbet groove stroke 11 in its lower forward corner edge to serve as a stop for the drawers of the cabinet. It will MAM also be understood that instead of securing the cross bars to the posts 4 by the welding thereto, other suitable connections may be made between the corresponding parts of the cross pieces and the posts.

It will be obvious that various changes in the details, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art withinthe principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

IVe claim 1. In a sheet metal furniture and the like, a pair of spaced walls, a pair of posts extending laterally toward one another from said spaced walls, a cross bar fitted between and secured to said posts at its upper and lower edges between the forward and rear faces of each post,'said bar having an extension at each end abutting and secured to one of said faces of the adj'acent'post. I i 2. In sheet metal furniture and the'like, a pair of spaced walls arranged side by side and having'hollow frame posts along their inner faces and adjacent their forward edges, and a cross bar fitted between said posts and havingtongues at each end entering said posts between the forward and rearward faces and bent over to-anchor the bar thereto, said cross bar having tongues abutting and welded to the rear faces of the posts.

3. In sheet metal'furniture and the like, a

pair of walls spaced apart side by side and channels approximately parallel to one another, and atubular cross bar of sheet metal fitted between and connecting said channel strips, the bottom walls of said channel strips having slots spaced apart along the channel a distance corresponding to the distance between the upper and lower walls of the cross bar, and said cross bar having tongues of less width than the upper and lower walls of said bar, passing through said slots and upset against the inner faces of the channel strips, onewall of said cross bar extending along a side wall of each channel and attached thereto. Y

OSCAR J. LARSON. JAMES RICHARD JONES.

having frame posts along their inner faces at their forward edges, and'a hollow sheet metal cross bar extending across between the spaced posts with the upper and lower edges at each end secured to the posts, at material distances from one of those faces of said posts which extend toward the other post, one vertical wall of said bar extending endwise thereof along and additionally secured to said one of those faces of the posts.

4. In sheet metal furniture or the like, a pair of side walls spaced apart side by side and each having a hollow framepost along its forward edge portion, and a hollow cross bar of sheet metal fitted between the said posts, the upper and lower walls of said bar having tongues extending from the ends thereof and said posts having slots through which said tongues extend,the free ends of the tongues be ing bent over within the posts to anchor the bar thereto, the rear wall of the cross bar extending endwise therefrom a and abutting against and secured to vertical faces of the posts, which extend toward one another,

5.. In sheet metal furniture or the like, a.

frame construction comprising a pair of open-sides ofthe'channels extending away from one another, and with the bottoms of the 

